A list of New Zealand’s most popular surnames has been produced with the name ‘Smith’ continuing its 100-year reign as the most common surname in New Zealand.
While Smith has remained popular there has been an increase in Asian names, especially in the Auckland area.
Internal Affairs records show that Smith, Wilson and Williams were the three most popular family names in the country in 2013. Smith has been the most popular family name since 1913.
In Auckland the top four surnames this year were Wang, Li, Chen and Liu, and 14 of the top 20 were of Asian descent. Smith came in at 5th place.
The top surnames for New Zealand are shown below.
| Top surnames | 1913 | 1963 | 1988 | 2003 | 2013 | ||||||
| 1 | Smith | Smith | Smith | Smith | Smith | ||||||
| 2 | Wilson | Wilson | Williams | Williams | Wilson | ||||||
| 3 | Brown | Brown | Wilson | Wilson | Williams | ||||||
| 4 | Taylor | Williams | Taylor | Brown | Brown | ||||||
| 5 | Jones | Taylor | Brown | Taylor | Taylor | ||||||
| 6 | Williams | Anderson | Jones | Jones | Jones | ||||||
| 7 | Anderson | Jones | Thompson | Thompson | Singh | ||||||
| 8 | Thompson | Thompson | Walker | Anderson | Wang | ||||||
| 9 | Campbell | Scott | Anderson | Lee | Anderson | ||||||
| 10 | Johnson | Walker | King | Harris | Li | ||||||
| 11 | King | Harris | White | Edwards | Thompson | ||||||
| 12 | Clark | King | Campbell | King | Walker | ||||||
| 13 | Scott | Martin | Johnson | Walker | Lee | ||||||
| 14 | Thomas | Johnson | Martin | Martin | Chen | ||||||
| 15 | Walker | Clark | Scott | Singh | Patel | ||||||
| 16 | Martin | Young | Harris | Campbell | Zhang | ||||||
| 17 | Stewart | Campbell | Thomas | Johnson | Martin | ||||||
| 18 | Wright | Stewart | Hall | Robinson | King | ||||||
| 19 | Thomson | Robinson | Stewart | Thomas | Harris | ||||||
| 20 | White | White | Clark | White | Kumar | ||||||
13 Responses
mine is smith
Smith is very popular name in NZ :P:););P
Wow!My BFF’s name is Smith! what a small world we live in!
What about Anderson?
pś. My names not Gwenlay it’s Finlay I just combined my best friends name
I like the rainbow one
I like kiwi kids news because I like reading some times when I fell like it.I like the home work for kids to do stuff on
Mine is pearson (is that on there?) lolz
Wow! I did not know that! I thought Smith was only popular in America! Go Brown as well!
Smith I never knew.
Smith? I never knew
Wow!!!! They are so good names go names!!!!
OMG! My last name is popular! So cool! Go Kyla Smith!
my last name is Brown